Adjustable locking device



Nov. 13, 1951 E. c. DEAL ADJUSTABLE LOCKING DEVICE 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 4INVENTOR. drasfas 6 flea fl TTOIP/VEY Filed Jan. 11, 1949 Nov. 13, 1951.D AL 2,574,535

ADJUSTABLE LOCKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 will IINVENTOR.

Ems/a5 Z JzaZ WGTZWMWMX Patented Nov. 13, 1951 ADJUSTABLE LOCKING DEVICEErastus 6; Deal; Rye, N. Y., assignor to Deal Slide-Lock Devices, Inc.,,New York, N; Y., a

corporation of New York ApplicationJanuary 11, 1949, Serial No. 70,i67

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to adjustable locking devices and moreparticularly to such embodying improvements over the looks or devicesdisclosed in United States Patents Nos. 2,521,835 and 2,521,836, grantedon September 12, 1950, to Louis L. Deal and Erastus 0. Deal,respectively.

The above-mentioned applications disclose devices which are adaptedtoretain their ositions in such manner that greater force is required tomove them in one direction than in another direction. Such devices arehighly useful in retaining or supporting members such asa window sash,tripod legs, etc. When the device is used tosupport a window sash, forexample, it normally grips more tightly against movement in a downwarddirection than against movement inan upward direction; inthis manner thedevice is adapted to support the weight of the window until sufficientdownward force is appliedtoclosethe window. The device requiresapplication of less force to move the window in an upward direc tionandthis facilitates ready upward movement when it is desired to open thewindow.

While the device of the present invention is adaptedto uses the same asand similar tothose referred to in the above-mentioned applications, itaims to further provide a locking device which may be more readilymanufactured and assem bled and which comprises a lesser number ofparts. This invention further contemplates the provision of a lockingdevice which is more nearly foolproof in construction and operation andwhich may be manufactured at lower cost.

An object of the present invention is toprovide a new and improvedadjustable locking device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved locking deviceof simplified construction which is adapted to be moved in one directionwith less force than is required to move it in another direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device ofwhichembodies a minimum number of parts.

A further object is to provide an adjustable locking device which may bereadily manufactured at relatively low cost.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to" one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the, invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and dez. s'cri'ption and is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. I is a front view, partially in section and partially broken away,showing a preferred embodiment of the present adjustable locking device;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; r

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4= is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the lockillustrated in Figs. 1' to 3;

Fig. 5' is a vertical sectional view showing a lockin device similar tothat of Figs. I through 4 but employing another form of connectingspring;

Fig. 6' is a perspective view showing, a modified form of block orhousing member which may be used with the present locking device;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view showing a form of look similar tothose of Figs. 1' through 6 but embodying a different number ofadjustable springs;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showing thelocking device of the present invention supporting an object such as awindow sash;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showing oneform of the present lock used to supportan object suchas an elongatehousing or rod member;

Fig, 10 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showing aformof the present looking device adapted to support a member such as asection of a surveyors rod;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a control member used with thelock of Fig; 10;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view showing a form of lockingdeviceutilizing a stretchable type of spring;

Fig. 1-3 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showingmodified means for selectively controlling operation of the lockingdevice; and

Fig. I4 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showinganother modified means for selectively controlling operation of thelock.

Referring more particularly to. the form of ad'-' justable lockingdevice illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4, there is shown a channel memberor guideway I, adapted to be secured by screws or bolts 2 in fixedposition to a window frame, or any other object. The guideway l directsmovement of wedge-like holding member's'd and 5 which are movable to andfro lengthwise of the guideway.

Preferably a flexible ribbon or cable 1 is secured to the guideway ladjacent opposite ends thereof and facilitates the action of the holdingmembers A and 5 and their cooperation with the guideway I. As shown,guideway flanges 8 extend over a portion of the holding members i and 5to retain them in the guideway. A hat or substantially planar connectingspring I is shown with its opposite ends looped about projections II andI2 which are connected with and extend outwardly from the holdingmembers 4 and this connecting spring Hi tends to urge the holdingmembers toward each other and to spread them against side walls of theguideway.

Projections ii and 82 connected with or carried by the wedge-likeholding members extend I into pockets or sockets is and 2!] formed in asolid or block-like housing It, which is adapted to be secured by boltsl t with a window frame it? or with any other ob ect or member which itis desired to support or retain. The pockets is and 2t! of theblock-like housing member i3 may be drilled into the housing or may beformed in it during casting operations. When assembled, the pocket wallssubstantially enclose the projections ll and I2 of the holding members tand 5. While the housing of Figs. 1 through 4 is shown of relativelyshort length it may be of any desired length, width and thickness.

The housing pocket is is shown joined with a connecting pocket or socket22 which in turn contains a spring or other yieldable means 23 thatpresses against the projection H, through the intermediation of a plugor seat member 25. The spring 23 may be of fixed or non-variablecapacity but, as in Figs. 1 through 4, is adjustable to various degreesof compression by varying the position of a threaded plug member 26shown seated against the upper end of the spring 23 and closing thepocket 22.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the locking device is illustrated in therelationship which it occupies when in use supporting a window i8. Thewindow sash is connected with the housing [3 by bolts H1 and the weightis thus supported upon the spring or yieldable means 23. In normal usagethe spring 23 is compressed a distance equal to one-half the weight ofthewindow and its sash, the other onehalf of the weight being supportedby a similar locking device positioned at the opposite side of thewindow frame. The spring 23 transfers the weight through the seatingplug 25 to the projection It and thence to the wedge-like holdingmembers 4 and 5.

To close the window a downward force applied to the sash furthercompresses the spring 23 until the upper edge or wall 28 of the pocket29 comes into contact with the lower projection 12; this applies apulling force to the holding member 5 and the lock is released so thatthe window may be moved downwardly. When the window is released, thespring 23 lifts the window slightly so that the wall 28 of the housingl3 moves away from the holding member 12. Where the device is used withbus windows or street cars the road shocks jiggle the window withoutclosing it, the spring 23 absorbing the bumps and jars.

To raise the window it may be lifted until the lower wall 29 contactsthe underside of the projection II to apply a pulling force to thisprojection and the holding member 4 which is connected with it. As thewindow is raised the spring 23 tends to assist the raising movement.Thus it will be seen that the wind-ow may be readily guideway.

raised and lowered, and that different total forces are applied to thelocking devices to move it in diiferent directions.

Where the ad ustable type of spring is utilized one size of lock may bereadily adapted to support windows or other objects of varying weights.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated in obj cot-supporting position a modifiedform of the lock which utilizes a coil spring 3| for connecting theprojections of the wedge-like holding members. Where such a spring isutilized the block-like housing may be provided with a channel 32 toaccommodate it. The substantially flat or planar spring disclosed inFigs. 1 through 4 is generally preferred since it does not require theprovision of a recess 32 in the housing member 53 and since it normallyfits into a small space corresponding to the thickness of the flanges 8of the guideway.

Fig. 6 illustrates a slightly modified form of housing member whichmaybe formed by diecasting operations. It is lighter and somewhat lessexpensive since it embodies a lesser amount of metal. The use ofaluminum for the unitary block-like housings is very satisfactory due toits lightness and ease of manufacture.

Fig. '7 illustrates a form of the present locking device similar to thatabove described but which employs a plurality of springs 35 and socarried in pockets 3? and 38 of the single-block housing, so that thesprings press against projections 40 and a l of the holding members. Aseparate connecting spring for urging the holding members toward eachother need not be utilized. Operation of the lock is similar to thatalready described. Each spring 35, 36 may be separately adjusted by thethreaded plugs shown seated against the outer ends of each of therespective springs, thus varying the forces required to move the devicein one direction or the other along its If a fixed capacity lock isdesired the springs 35 and 36 may be non-adjustable; one spring may bestronger than the other to provide a biasing effect. If desired, seatingplugs similar to those described may be used intermediate the 7 ends ofthe springs 35 and 36 and their respective holding member projections 40and 4|. Bolts or screws 42 may connect the housing with a window orother object.

In Fig. 8 the locking device is shown directly supporting an object.Projections 35 and 16 of the holding members extend into pockets ll and48 formed directly in the object to be held and the object itself formsthe block-like housing. Where the object is a window sash the pockets 41and 48 may be formed in the side edges of the sash so that the sash maybe permanently assembled with the lock. A laterally extending connectingpocket or opening 49 in the sash may merge with the upper pocket 41, thepocket 49 being adapted to contain a seating plug, spring, and threadedadjusting plug similar to those already described. With a window sash asimilar construction will be utilized at each side of the sash. Theconstruction of Fig. 8 provides a built in lock and the object isdirectly supported or held, with the object itself forming theblock-like housing.

Fig. 9 shows a built in construction along the lines of Fig. 8 but theyieldable means or spring 52 which serves to bias the locking device isof the fixed or non-adjustable type and is contained within a blindpocket 53. The object 54 which serves to house the holding memberprojections is broken away to indicate that it may is be of any suitablelength.

. In Fig. a modified form of the look is shown utilized with a rod-likemember 56, which may be a section of a tripod. In this instance also amember which is to be held forms the block-dike housing which enclosesthe projections of the locks holding members. The projections 51 and 58of the holding members project into pockets of the rod member 56. Bands6!! retain the parts together and permit longitudinal movement of thelower rod 56 with respect to the adjacent rod 59. In this form of lockthe biasing means 61 is shown interposed between a wedgelike holdingmember and an extension 62 of a separate release member 63. For claritythe release member 63 is shown in perspective in Fig. 11.

When the release member is grasped and moved upwardly the spring 6| iscompressed until the edge wall 65 of the release member comes intocontact with the projection 51 and applies a pulling force, whichreleases the locking device and permits collapsing of the structure.When the release member is moved in an opposite direction the edge wall66 contacts the other projection 58 and serves to pull the lock in anopposite direction.

While in most instances the locks will embody compression types ofsprings or yieldable means, there is illustrated in Fig. 12 a modifiedform of the lock which utilizes a stretchable 01' tension spring. Thetension spring 68 is connected in suitable manner adjacent one end withthe housing block 69 and adjacent its opposite end with an adjustingscrew 16, the latter being threaded into a projection ll of an upperwedge-like holding member 12. Rotation of the adjusting screw 10 variesthe force of the tension spring 63. The housing 69 may be bolted to awindow sash or other object to be supported and the lock guideway may besecured to a window frame or other object. Thus the weight of asupported object is transferred through the housing block 69 to thespring 68, in such manner as to tend to stretch the spring.

When a window connected with the housing block 69 is lowered the housingblock may move downwardly until the lower wall 16 comes into contactwith the lower projection 13 and applies a pulling force in a directionto close the window. When the window is raised the housing block 69moves upwardly until the upper wall 1'! thereof comes into contact withthe upper projection H and applies a pulling force to the upper wedge12. The tension spring 68 serves to "bias the lock in a manner similarto that already described in connection with locking devices whichutilize a compression spring.

With the locking devices described adjustment of the biasing force, thatis of the force provided by the yieldable means whereby greater force isrequired to move the lock in one direction than another, is provided byvarying the amount of compression or tension of the yieldable means. Insome instances it may be desired to utilize a spring or other yieldablemeans which does not require adjustment, and yet to provide forvariation of the force required to be applied to the object in order tomove it. Fig. 13 shows such a locking device which utilizes a spring orother yieldable means 80 which is not adjustable; variation of the forcerequired to move the object BI is provided by an adjustable spacermember 82 carried by screw-threaded rod 84 threadedly connected with asocket 85 in the object or window sash 8|.

With the parts in the relationship shown in Fig. 13 the window may belowered by push-. ing downwardly upon the sash 8| until the underside ofthe spacer member 82 comes into contact with the projection 81 of onewedge-like holding member 88. As the spacer member 82 is presseddownwardly with the sash 8| it simultaneously compresses the yieldablemeans 80.

To vary the force required to move the sash 8| the rod member 84 may besuitably adjusted. If it. is desired to increase the force which must beapplied to the sash in order to close it, the threaded rod 84 may bescrewed outwardly to increase the space intermediate the spacer member82 and the projection 81. When this space is increased the sash ill willhave to be pressed downwardly a greater distance prior to the variablespacing member 82 contacting the projection 81; this greater movementrequires greater compression of the spring and hence the application ofa larger force in order to lower the window.

Screwing downwardly on the threaded rod 64 decreases the intermediatespace X and hence lessens the force required to lower the window.Raising the window may be achieved in the usual manner, the wall 89contacting the underside of the upper projection 98 to pull theuppermost; wedge along the guideway.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 14 is generally similar to that ofFig. 13. In this instance the spring 86a is positioned within theguideway and the adjustable spacing member may be of substantiallyC-shape. Movement of the adjustable spacer member 62a to vary the spaceX may be achieved by a screw 9! threadedly connected with the variablespacer member 82a and rot-atably carried in a bracket 93, the bracket93: being secured to the window sash. Operation of the form illustratedin Fig. 14 is similar to that described in connection with Fig. 13.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a new and improvedadjustable locking device of greatly simplified construction. The

lock utilizes a lesser number of parts and may be more readily and moreinexpensively manufactured. A single block-like member or housingencloses projections of the locks holding members and operativelyconnects the holding parts of the lock with an object to be supported;or the lock may be built into the article to be held so that the articleis directly supported. By reason of the relatively small number of partsand their rugged construction the present adjustable locking device iswell adapted to withstand the rough usage to which it may be subjected.

As various changes ma be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a guidewayhaving oppositely spaced walls, a plurality of holding members in andmovable along said guideway having opposed overlapping inclined wedgingsurfaces for urging portions of the members into frictional engagementwith said oppositely spaced guideway walls, a projection connected withand extending generally laterally outwardly from each of said holdingmembers, a unitary housing member having a plurality of spaced closedend sockets into which said projections extend, the distance betweenadjacent walls of said spaced sockets being less than the distancebetween adjacent surfaces of said projections and each of said closedend sockets having an opposite wall spaced from an opposite surface ofthe projection which extends into said socket, and yieldable meanscarried by said housing member and operatively interposed between aportion or" said housing member and one of said hOlding members foropposing movement of the housing member relative to the holding membersin one direction along the guideway, one Of the adjacent walls of one ofsaid sockets being adapted to engage one of said projections uponyielding of said yieldable means to release the frictional engagementbetween the holding members and guideway walls.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a guidewayhaving oppositely spaced walls, a plurality of holding members in andmovable along said guideway having opposed overlapping inclined wedgingsurfaces for urging portions of the members into frictional engagementwith said oppositely spaced guideway walls, a projection connected withand extending generally laterally outwardly from each of said holdingmembers, unitary housing means having a plurality of spaced closed endsockets into which said projections extend, means providing wallportions within said sockets and adjacent each other and a Wall portionopposite each of said adacent wall portions, the distance between saidadjacent wall portions being less than the distance between adjacentsurfaces of said projections and each of said opposite wall portionsbeing spaced from an opposite surface of the projection which extendsinto said socket, and yieldable means carried by said housing means andoperatively interposed between a portion of said housing means and oneof said holding members for opposing movement of the housing meansrelative to the holding members in one direction along the guideway, oneof the adjacent wall portions being adapted to engage one of saidprojections upon yielding of said yieldable means to release thefrictional engagement between the holding members and guideway Walls.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which there is provided additionalyieldable means for 8 exerting pressure against at least one of saidholding members to urge the holding members toward each other and intoengagement with said guideway walls.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which there is provided additionalyieldable means for exerting pressure against at least one of saidholding members to urge the holding members toward each other and intoengagement with said guideway walls, each yieldable means is of thecompression type, and each is contained within a separate recess in thehousing member.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said housing member has atleast a single aperture extending therethrough for facilitatingattachment of the housing member to an object.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which there is provided adjustablemeans movable toward and away from one of the projections for varyingthe force exerted by said yieldable means.

7. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which saidholding means has arecess connecting with one of said sockets, said yieldable meanscomprises a spring contained in said recess, and adjustable meansextends into said recess and bears against said spring for varying theforce exerted thereby.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which one of said members carriesadjustable means for varying the space between one of said projectionsand a portion of the housing member to thereby selectively vary theforce required to move the device in one direction along the guideway.

9. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said'housing means carriesadjustable means for varying the space between one of said projectionsand a portion of the housing member to thereby selectively vary theforce required to move the device in one direction along the guideway.

ERASTUS C. DEAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

